Virginia Mining Association, Inc.

The Virginia Mining Associations, Inc. (VMA) is a non-profit trade association, representing Virginia’s coal mining companies and the vendors and suppliers who support the industry.  

Formed in 1971 with the goal to assist members in complying with the increasing role government agencies were taking at that time in the regulation of business, in particular, coal and other mineral extraction industries through out the United States.

Today VMA is involved in many areas that promotes coal and serves the membership. Polls have shown that well over half the people in the United States do not know that coal provides over 55% of their electrical needs. Each person on average uses lbs of coal a day by way of electrical use. A computer on average uses three to four pounds a day of coal for its energy needs. There is a great need to educate to public on the role of coal in their every day lives through the use of electricity.

The growing complexity of social, environmental, economic and technical issues, combined with the increased level of government involvement makes it very difficult for the average coal operator and vendor/supplier to devote the amount of time it now requires to stay abreast of activities in all these areas. Even the most innocent piece of legislation or media question can be rout with pitfalls. It is one of the major goals of VMA is to make its members aware of the issues affecting them and that their views are know. VMA provides a collective and unified voice for its members on issues that have an impact on the coal industry.

Coal has taken on a new more important role in the last few years. Because America has found itself in a war with a faceless enemy from an area where we get much of our energy. VMA promotes the energy independence of the United States through the use of clean and low environmental impact mined coal. We have over 250 years supply of coal left in the ground under 
our feet right here in America.

Today coal is used to make thousands of products besides the generation of electricity, plastics, chemicals, medicines and various building materials just to name a few. The average coal miner makes an annual salary of forty five thousand dollars. For each coal miners job the Nation Chamber of Commerce says there are three more “spin-off” jobs created as a result     within that community. Coal has provided the electricity for the technological revolution our society has experienced in the last few decades. As that demand for energy grows you can rest assured that VMA will be there in the for front promoting coal as a safe secure source of energy to meet America’s energy needs.